Epitaph Extended: Emily's Vow
by Only Hope-7
Summary: Daniel died a hero, but everyone has been told otherwise. As Emily takes time to properly say goodbye to the man who gave his life for her, she makes new discoveries about his talent, his love and her denied love for him. {Demily Mini-Fic}


**A/N: I know, I know – why am I posting yet another fic when I already have three others in the works, you might ask? This one will not be an extended story though. I already have it crafted in completion in my mind, and my plan is for it to be posted in two parts, (that is – if you are even interested in me posting a second part). My main reason for it being a short story is because I simply cannot stand the thought of writing a lengthy fic in which Daniel is not alive. **

**I'm merely writing this as a way to explore what the show has not with his death. Episode 4x11: Epitaph, left me wanting more flashbacks, more of Emily properly mourning, which of course, we did not get. And then I saw this fabulous fan video, which I have referenced below, and was inspired to write this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.**

**If you love Demily, the Youtube video by ****Miro0oMariam called "A Finger, Two Dots (Daniel &amp; Emily) is a must see, if you have not already viewed it!**

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**Part One **

"_The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over..." Psalm 23:1-5, KJV_

Emily smiled sadly at the memories flashing through her mind of Daniel as she stared at his casket several feet away. They had told her she was not allowed at the funeral, but nothing could keep her away, not Margaux, not Victoria, not even the Devil himself. She owed it to Daniel to properly say goodbye. She owed it to herself. No one else would truly be able to understand her need for attending, even if it had to be from a distance.

But with the small group huddled in mourning, Emily decided she better leave now if she wanted time for the next portion of her goodbye. So while everyone else continued to pay their respects, Emily retreated to Daniel's favorite hotel and secretly gained access to his high-rise apartment. It smelled faintly of his cologne as she entered it, causing her eyes to close for a moment as it filled her senses.

Slowly, she made her way throughout, running her fingertips along things he would have touched. There were stacked boxes in the living room that caught her attention. Daniel must have recently taken a trip down memory lane, she thought. Gently, Emily rummaged through the one on top, and her brow narrowed when she came to the brown leather scrapbook she had given him for his birthday three years earlier. He'd kept it. Even after the lies and all she the pain she had caused him, Daniel had not thrown it away.

Emily lifted it from the box to reminisce a little herself, but when she turned the first page, she found a fresh piece of paper folder into fourths. It was a letter addressed to her from Daniel; one she had never seen before. And as she began to read, she realized he must have written it within the last couple of weeks.

"Dear Emily,

I'm writing this knowing you'll probably never see it because I will not have the courage to give it to you, much less say the words in person. I've spent this last year blaming you for everything that is wrong in my life. But when I saw you the other day, when we talked honestly in the elevator for, perhaps, the first time, I realized I was wrong to place the blame entirely on you. I've been a coward, Emily. The weakness was mine. I hate some of the things that I've done, some of the choices I've made. I hate that they cost me your love... if I ever really had it.

I think often about those six months we spent in the City together after our re-engagement, blissfully free from chaos. My father was consumed acting as the elected governor and my mother was equally consumed with Patrick. Grayson Global had been obliterated. And I had you. Or at least I thought I did. I've been thinking about that picnic we had in the park early that spring. The weather was beautiful. You were beautiful. I was hopeful of our future.

It's maddening to me that even after all this time, after everything you've done and I've done, thinking of you can still make me smile. Maybe it's because you're the only woman I've ever really loved. I certainly know that I've loved you more than anyone, as much as I hate to admit it. But I've come to accept that we were not meant to be together in this lifetime. I refuse to accept though that the pain was without purpose. I think I was meant to love you, Emily. I think I was meant to be taught the lessons loving you has taught me. You forced me to face the truth, and believe it or not, I'm grateful.

Maybe it's the next life where we'll finally get it right."

Emily heaved a harsh breath when Daniel's written words came to an end, suddenly aware of the tears that had formed and spilled onto her cheeks. She had so long focused on the bad, she had forgotten about the good. And there had been a lot of good.

"_Somebody's in a good mood," Emily mused with a smile. The crystal blue New York sky was their endless roof as they were lying on a blanket in the park, a picnic basket at their feet. Daniel rolled to his side, raising his sunglasses a bit so that she could now see his dark eyes shining down at her._

"_Why shouldn't I be? It's the first day that feels like Spring." He stretched his arm out at their surroundings in a grand motion. "The weather is perfect. We're having a picnic in a beautiful park. I haven't spoken to my parents in weeks." Emily chuckled, finding his smile contagious. _

"_Sure, it'd be nice to have a job, but I think the collapse of Grayson Global was inadvertently one of the best things that's happened to me... aside from you, of course." Daniel grinned, dropping his arm to his side again. "I've got the woman of my dreams next to me and our future ahead of us... Yeah, why wouldn't I be happy?"_

_Emily chuckled again. "You're such a poet, Daniel. You should start writing again."_

"_Actually, I have been," He replied casually, falling over on his back again, but then turning his head to look at her. "I've felt...very inspired as of late."_

"_That's great." Emily smiled. Even though it would mess up her plans, it was the life she hoped for Daniel, free of his parents and fulfilled doing something he loved. _

"_You know...we really should have gone to Paris. I think if I could spend the rest of my life writing and being with you... that's all I would really ever need."_

_Emily turned her head to look at him as well, still smiling softly. When Daniel spoke of such things, she had a tendency to forget that her relationship with him was supposed to be a means to end. "You sure you wouldn't grow tired of me?"_

"_Of you?" Daniel furrowed his brow, shifting his body towards her again. "Never," He promised, leaning down to place a warm kiss against her lips. "No...I will love you...until I become a child again...when feeding me... and... bathing me... isn't romantic anymore...just necessary." Emily laughed a little, but Daniel's smile fell. "I'm serious, Em. I'm gonna love you until there is no till. Until I die." He drew in a deep breath. "And even then... I'm pretty sure I'm going to love you in the next life, too."_

_Emily raised her brow. "Eternity's a long time."_

"_Says the girl with a double infinity tattoo," Daniel reminded with a smirk before his lips met her own again. _

Yes, she remembered that day as well. Unlike Daniel though, she had not thought about it in quite some time. Blocking the memories of happy times kept her moving forward, kept her from regretting her choices. Emily's eyes fell to the box again which is when she saw a flash drive nestled in the corner and picked it up, slowly rotating it in her fingers as her mind continued to drift.

"_You're such a poet, Daniel. You should write again."_

"_Actually, I have been."_

The words echoed in her head again as she studied the seemingly insignificant object in her hand. Daniel's laptop was still sitting on the table where he had last left it, and curiosity getting the best of her, Emily moved across the room and inserted the flash drive in the awaiting laptop. As always, her hunch had been correct. Its memory was filled with dozens upon dozens of poems Daniel had written, dating back several years. Emily noticed the most recent one had been written just a few days prior. Hesitantly, she opened it, her breath catching in her throat when she saw the first line.

"Lying together in the park on Seventh  
our backs smoosh grass and I say,  
I will love you until I become a child again,  
when feeding me and bathing me is no longer romantic,  
but rather necessary.

I will love you till there is no till.  
Till I die.

Forgive me for sounding selfish  
but I won't be able to wait under the earth for you  
I will not be able to wait for you…

but I will meet up with you  
and here's where you will find me:

Hold your finger up  
(two fingers if your hands are frail by now)  
and count two stars directly to the left  
of the North American moon.

You will find me there.  
You will find me darting behind amazing quasars.  
Behind flirtatious winks  
of bright and blasting boom stars,  
sometimes charging so far into space  
the darkness goes... blue.

You will recognize my voice.  
You will see the flash of a fire trail  
burning off the back of me  
burning like a gasoline comet kerosene sapphire.  
This is my voice.  
Don't look for my body or a ghost.  
I'll resemble more a pilot light than a man now.

I'm sure some will see this cobalt star white light from earth  
and cast me a wish like a wonder bomb.  
And I'll think "Hmmph. people still do that?"

The hope.  
The blood.  
The fear.  
The trust.  
The crush.  
The work.  
The loss.  
The love.  
The test.  
The end.  
The finale.  
The design!  
The design!

The design in the stars is the same in our hearts,  
in the rebuilt machinery of our hearts.  
So love, you should know what to look for  
and exactly where to go…

Take your time and don't worry about getting lost.  
You'll find me up there, a finger and two dots away.  
If you're wondering if I'll still be able to hold you  
…I honestly don't know

But I do know that I could still fall for  
a swish of light that comes barreling  
and cascading towards me.

It will resemble your sweet definite hands.  
And the universe will bend.  
And the planets will bow.  
And I will say "Oh... there you are. Now we can go."

It took a lot to mystify Emily Thorne, but this had done it. She sat back in the chair, bringing a hand to her mouth. It was too much...being here in Daniel's apartment, reading his letter and this poem, knowing he had written them, both so seemingly prophetic, only days before his death. And he had written this poem with her in mind, of that she was completely and utterly certain.

And now, what Emily regretted the most was that she would never have the chance to tell Daniel how much she had actually cared about him, that she really _had_ loved him. Wiping her eyes, Emily stood and removed the flash drive. She slipped it, along with the scrapbook and letter into her purse, not wanting anyone else to see them. She needed to leave, needed to get some air.

Emily drove back to the cemetery with a clouded mind. Flashes of Daniel's face and voice kept resounding in her head of good memories and bad, the worst being his final words to her as he died in her arms. Absently, she stopped to buy a single red rose from a sidewalk vendor, and by the time she reached his graveside, everyone attending the funeral was long gone, and only a fresh mound of dirt was in their place. Kneeling to the ground, Emily placed the rose on top of it, and remained crouched in silence for a long time before speaking.

"I came to your funeral today even though your mother and Margaux told me not to... But I couldn't stay away... I really believe you would have wanted me to be here, so -" Her voice faded as fresh tears stung her eyes again. Emily looked upwards, taking a breath in attempt to control her emotions. "I read what you wrote. It was really beautiful, Daniel. It reminded me of...the man I met three years ago."

She nodded her head unconsciously, taking another breath. "I'm really sorry I hurt you, Daniel... It was wrong of me to use you like I did... But you were more than just part of my plan. You were... you were special to me. I'm sorry I never told you that... Maybe we will get it right in the next life, just like you said. I believe that everything will be made right in eternity. I'll look for you there." Emily drew another breath as she wiped her eyes, even though it was practically useless at this point. The tears only continued to flow.

"You died so that I could live. You're the one who should have lived though, not me... You're going to be a father. I'm sure you were so happy about that," She whispered with a small smile. "We've tarnished your name in order... to protect ourselves." She slid her tongue across her lower lip in disgust. "I hate it. When this war with Malcolm Black is over, I'm going to make this right... I promise you, Daniel... I will not let your child grow up thinking his or her father was anything but a hero. I know what it was like to grow up thinking your father is a monster. I won't let the same thing happen to yours... I swear to you...I _will_ clear your name."

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**Another A/N: Okay, so hopefully that was not too depressing or simply too cheesy. It was therapeutic to me to write it, lol. Like I said, I was inspired by the video and poem so I wanted to find a way to incorporate it. Your feedback, is of course, welcome and requested. If you're interested in reading what I have in mind for Part II/Epilogue, please let me know. If not, then this can truly be a one-shot. :)**

**Credit: Excerpts from " A Finger, Two Dots, Then Me" by Derrick Brown. **


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